Forever Is Not As Long As You Think
by lucydragneel0300
Summary: Gray and Lucy are dating, but Natsu has feelings for Lucy. When Gray and Lucy's relationship takes a large turn, how will Natsu respond? Natsu takes drastic measures, but he thinks it's what needs to be done. But is it right?
1. Chapter 1

Disclaimer: I do not own Fairy Tail, so wish I did!

~~~Natsu P.O.V.~~~

Gray and Lucy have become a couple. They are the talk of everything, everyone, even Magnolia talks about it. Lucy has been totally ignoring me. I don't know what to do. I just sit at the bar all day with my head in my hands.

"What's got you down Natsu?" the barmaid, Mirajane, asks.

"Nothin." I reply flatly.

"It's Gray and Lucy isn't it. They do make quite the couple." Mirajane looks longingly over at Gray and Lucy. They are sitting next to each other, sharing a slice of cake. I grunt.

"Someone a little jealous?" Mira says.

"No, of course not. I'm happy for her." I say, my voice wavering. "She just doesn't talk to me anymore and she's always with him and she never goes on jobs with me anymore and" I keep rattling on and on about everything I don't like about it when I suddenly stop.

"Is everything alright?" Mirajane asks.

"Of course, but, I just realized something. If I don't like something, why keep it?" I answer to no one in particular, my voice breathy and my head in the clouds.

"Huh?" says Mirajane. I stand up and walk off, seemingly in a trance.

"I'll never understand that one." Mira adds. I walk past Gray and Lucy and sit down next to Wendy and Erza.

"You alright Natsu?" Erza asks.

"Huh?" I say, snapping out of my trance-like state. "Oh! Yeah I'm fine."

"Good. I was just about to go on a job. Would you like to come with me?" says Erza.

"Sure why not." I reply while getting to my feet. We walk to the train station and board a train to Hargeon, to fight some bandits. It's all fine, until the train starts moving. I lean over, my face blue.

"I'm never riding a train again." I say, my voice muffled. Happy, who was quiet the whole time, finally begins to speak.

"You say that every time." Happy pats my head in pity.

After the long train ride is over, the three of us walk around town. My head is somewhere else completely as I think about Gray and Lucy, when Erza suddenly rushes off. I am too deep in my thoughts to do anything. After a while, Erza comes back and hits me upside the head.

"Ow! What was that for?" I say.

"I was busy fighting the bandits while you were over here walking?!" Erza shouts, seemingly glowing with a black aura.

"I'm sorry ma'am!" I return, shrinking back.

When we finally get back to Magnolia, Erza, Happy and I walk to the guild hall together. We arrive at the front doors, and can already hear loud cheers and a lot of talking. I push open the doors.

"We're back!" I shout, trying to be louder than the crowd.

"Erza, Natsu, you totally missed it!" Max, the sand wizard, says.

"Missed what?" Erza asks.

"Oh nothing," Gray begins. "Only how I proposed to Lucy!" he finishes. Erza is speechless. She tries to talk but it only comes out as a jumbled mess of word parts.

"Bu- Wha- Whe- Ho- Bu- Hu- What?" Erza finally manages. Erza squeezes Gray in a massive hug of congratulations. "I'm so happy for you two! When's the date? What are the colors? Do you have a dress yet? This is so exciting! Who is invited?" Erza kept going on and on with questions.

"Can't…. Breathe…." Gray finally squeaks out. Erza realizes what she is doing, then quickly let's go of Gray and brushes off her armor. She begins blushing.

"Sorry about that Gray." she says. Lucy comes up behind Gray and grabs his hand.

"I trust you've heard the news then?" Lucy asks.

"I'm so happy for you! I can't tell you how happy I am! How many children will you have? One? Two? Seven? Thirty-three?" Erza says.

"Slow down there!" Lucy says. "I mean, sure I thought about kids but not this soon, and, not that many." Lucy adds, nervously scratching the back of her head.

"Aren't you going to congratulate the happy couple, Natsu?" Erza says.

"Oh yeah, I'm sooo happy for you." I say sarcastically. Grunting, I storm off. Lucy comes after me. She grabs my shoulder.

"Natsu, are you alright?" she asks.

"Yeah." I reply, simply and flatly. Shaking off her hand, I begin walking towards the master's office. Lucy stands in silence.

Yes, I have feelings for Lucy. Or had, until ice-block went and proposed. I became very angry as I walked towards Master Makarov's office. When I reach the room, I knock on the door.

"Come in." I hear the master say. I open the door.

"Hey Gramps!" I respond, smiling.

"Oh, Natsu! What a pleasure to see you here." he returns.

"Yeah, anyway, could I ask a favor."

"Ask away."

~~~ten minutes later~~~

"Are you sure about this, Natsu?" the guild master says.

"Sure am, Gramps." I return. Makarov sighs, frowns, and wipes a tear, as my right shoulder becomes clean and unmarked once more.

"Your family will miss you Natsu." master says, breaking into tears.

"Hey, don't cry. I'll be back sometime, you can count on it." I say reassuringly. I walk out of the office and into the main area where everyone is gathered, still talking about the new engagement. Some heads look up as I pass, then seeing my right arm, gasp and get a look of surprise.

"Hey Natsu! I'm still expecting a proper congratulation!" Gray yells. I ignore him and wave with my right arm.

"See you guys later!" I call. Romeo begins tearing up.

"How could you?!" Romeo yells. "How could you leave us?!"

"Maybe you should ask someone else that question." I reply. I turn and glare at Lucy. "This is your fault you know." I shout calmly.

"Me? I didn't do anything!" Lucy shouts back. I ignore her and pat Romeo on the head.

"Don't come looking for me you hear? And take care of Happy for me." I say.

"Natsu!" Happy yells, flying after me. "Let me come with you!" Happy clings to my shoulder, tears in his eyes. I rub his head.

"Hey, all your friends are here. Keep Carla some company for me will you? And one more thing Happy, don't let Lucy be sad." I tell Happy, quietly. I look back and see Lucy, crying.

"Hey buddy, I have something for you." I say to Happy.

"What?" he asks. I hold up a huge bag of fish.

"You promise to do what I told you?" I say.

"Of course. But I don't accept bribes." Happy says, his voice wavering from the tears. I leave the bag behind anyway.

Not another word is said as I silently, but surely, leave the guild hall forever.

But forever can be shorter than you think.

 **Thanks for reading my fanfic! Pls like and review!**

 **Here have a hug (^_^)**


	2. Chapter 2

Disclaimer: I do not own Fairy Tail, the amazing Hiro Mashima does!

~~~Natsu P.O.V.~~~

As I walked away from the guild hall, I heard four sets of footsteps come outside of the building. I sniffed the air. It was Gray, Lucy, Erza, and Makarov.

"Natsu! Please don't go! We can talk about this! I'm so sorry for whatever it is I did!" Lucy calls. I ignore her. Gray and Erza say similar things. When they finish, I speak.

"I'm sorry, but I can't stay. Just, keep living like you do now. Gray, find someone to fight. Keep the guild lively. Erza, keep being scary." once I said that, I heard a 'WHAT DID YOU SAY?' from Erza, but I ignored it and kept talking. "And keep working up that armor collection of yours. Lucy, there's a letter for you in the drawer. And Gramps, you better not tell 'em!" Makarov grunts at that. Lucy starts crying on Gray's chest. I couldn't see what Gramps did next, but I felt it, and returned it. I stuck my fist up in the air with my finger and thumb sticking out in an L. I knew the others did it too. I walked down the sidewalk, my sandals clacking on the ground.

After a while of walking, I finally arrive at my destination and walk inside. The Sabertooth guild hall

"Hey Natsu! What are you doing here?" Sting yells, jogging up to me. I wave.

"Hey Sting! You're just the person I wanted to see!" I reply. Sting slaps me on the back.

"What can I do for ya?" he says. I turn my right side to him.

"My shoulder is feeling a bit bare, I was wondering if there was somethin you could do about it." I say. Sting gasps.

"You got kicked from Fairy Tail?" Sting says with a look of dread.

"Nah. Just lookin for a change of scenery. Maybe as a Sabertooth wizard." I say, casually.

"We'd love to have ya Natsu." Sting says, guiding me to a counter. He stamps the Sabertooth guild logo in red, right where my Fairy Tail logo was.

"Natsu? What are you doing here?" Yukino asks, walking up to me. I show her my new guild mark.

"Check that out! I'm a Sabertooth wizard now!" I say. Yukino gasps, then smiles.

"Yay!" she says, and hugs me. I'm a little surprised but I hug her back. When Yukino realizes what she did, she immediately lets go and steps back a little.

"I-I'm so s-sorry." Yukino says, bowing. I reach out and lift up her chin.

"Nah, it's cool. Come on, let me buy you a drink." I say. Yukino's face lights up as she leads me to the bar. Sting chuckles as he watches us leave.

~~~That evening~~~

Sting sits on a huge chair as I stand in front of him. The whole guild is lined up behind us. Sting wears a grim expression.

"I don't even know what to say to you." he says, seemingly angry. "Except, we have a new member!" Sting calls out. He gets to his feet and begins jumping around. "And none other than The Salamander! So cool!" he calls out. He puts me in a playful choke hold and rustles my hair. "It's so cool to have my childhood hero in my guild!" Sting says. "POOL PARTY!" he shouts and begins running outside to the pool along with everyone else. I grab his wrist. He stops and walks back to where I am.

"What's up?" he says.

"You play the grim part pretty darn well Sting." I say. He laughs.

"Come on! This is probably the first pool you've seen at a guild hall." Sting says. I remember the pool at Fairy Tail.

"Something like that." I say. Sting, pleased that no other guild hall has a pool, or at least in his mind, grabs my arm and leads me outside. When we get out there, I don't bother to change into a swimsuit. I just grab Yukino around the waist and haul her into the pool.

~~~Lucy P.O.V.~~~

I walk along the path to Natsu and Happy's house. I wonder what he wrote in that letter. When I finally get there, I open the door slowly. Turning on the lights as I go, I walk to the drawer at his desk. This is the only drawer he would refer to so vaguely. Opening the drawer, I find a single envelope. I open it and pull out a folded piece of paper. Unfolding it, I begin to read. Man I can hardly read this! The handwriting is terrible! It takes a long time, but I am finally able to decipher what it says.

 _Hey Luce,_

 _By the time you read this, I'll probably be long gone. I don't know where I'm going so don't follow. You don't need to worry about me, I'll be fine. I just want to tell you that, I'm gonna miss you. I'm gonna miss climbing through that window of yours, going on jobs with you. But I'm sure Gray will be a great partner. One more thing,_

 _I love you Lucy_

The words blurred as my tears fell on the page. I had no idea he felt this way. I finally see why he left, and why I need to get him back. But how? I can't just announce that I'm looking for him, and I certainly can't run out on Gray. I'll just have to wait for the right time, I suppose.

I take my time walking back to the guild hall. Light rains starts to fall as I'm almost arriving. When the guild hall is in sight the rain is coming in buckets. Gray runs out.

"Where were you? I was so worried! Come on! Get out of the rain." Gray says. When I ignore him, he runs over and pulls me inside. He grabs a towel and begins doing all he can to dry me off. He then starts going off about how I should have told him where I was, what I was doing. The typical parent routine. It goes on for a long time until I finally get fed up with his blabbering. I slap his face.

"Just be quiet already!" I shout. Gray gazes at me in surprise, too shocked for words. I walk out of the guild hall and through the rain, back to my apartment.

 **Sorry for how short and boring this chapter was but some development is needed for what I have planned for the next chapter… *Laughs maniacally***

 **Sting: Hey when do I get a better part?**

 **Happy: And what about me?**

 **Me: Now calm down you will both be in soon. The next chapter is all about you two and Natsu and Yukino and all of Fairy Tail. Maybe even a little bit of Minerva but that depends on how long I make it.**

 **Rogue: But what about me?**

 **Me: ….Uh, you see, this fanfic isn't that much about you, so…**

 **Rogue: *breaks into tears***

 **Me: I'm sorry! Anyway, we were wrapping this up. See you guys later!**

 **Happy and Sting: Be sure to like and review!**

 **Lily: I'm expecting a part in this next chapter**

 **Me: Don't worry you'll all get what you want**

 **Rogue: Except me!**

 **Me: Heh heh, sorry Rogue**


	3. Chapter 3

Disclaimer: I do not own Fairy Tail (It's so depressing that I have to say this every time)

Sorry it's been so long since my last update! I've had a busy schedule lately but I'm finally getting one in! *Pretends to hear cheering*

~~~Natsu P.O.V.~~~

It's been almost a year since I left Fairy Tail. I've decided to visit Fairy Tail again, but it's mostly to show everyone my new girlfriend. Yukino. I enter the Sabertooth guild hall.

"Natsu!" I hear Yukino call. Wrapping my arms around her waist, I reply.

"Hey Yukino."

"Wanna go somewhere today? I'm bored."

"I actually have someplace in mind.

"Really? Where?"

"It's a surprise." Yukino frowns.

"Fine." We head toward the Fairy Tail guild hall, laughing and talking all the way. When we get there, Yukino gets excited.

"We're going to Fairy Tail?! How exciting!" She bursts. I chuckle and push open the doors, swinging my arm across Yukino's shoulders. Everyone looks at us.

"Natsu?" I hear. Turning around, I find Lucy staring at me, dumbfounded.

"Told you I'd come back!"

"No you didn't!"

"Really? Totally thought I did. So, how's the happy couple." I say sarcastically. Lucy doesn't reply. Everyone else just returns to what they were doing. I look around and notice that there aren't many people.

"Where is everybody?" I ask.

"You may want to sit down for this." Gray says. I am confused but sit down anyway, Yukino starts talking to Lucy.

"About six months after you left, our guild was attacked by Sabertooth." I begin to yell that it isn't true, but I decide to let him finish. "They caught us completely off guard, and began killing everyone they could."

"What? Who," I pause, not able to finish my sentence. "Who's gone?" I finally whisper. Gray pauses, clearly very upset about it.

"Macao, Wakaba, Nab, Reedus, Max, Laki, Kinana, Freed, Evergreen, Lisanna," Gray pauses.

"All them? Real-" Gray cuts me off.

"I'm not finished. Kana, Wendy, Carla, Levy, Gajeel, Master,"

"Master is gone too?"

"Let me finish Natsu! There's also," Gray begins. He begins crying. "He's gone Natsu. I'm sorry. He's gone. It's all my fault. I shouldn't have done it."

"Who? What are you talking about!" I yell.

"Happy. He's gone. It was all my fault. I was casting a spell and he jumped in front of Carla and, and. I did it. I killed them both. It's all my fault." I sit there, dumbfounded, and glad that Gray had me sit. "She never comes out anymore. She sits in her room. She sits, and cries, and thinks, and never comes out. I don't even remember the last time I've seen her."

"Who? Stop mumbling and tell me!"

"Erza! She never says a word." Gray keeps rambling on about nothing as I stand up and walk off. I stand in front of a wall and slam my head on it. Turning around, I walk swiftly back to the table. Gray has his head in his hands, mumbling. I pick him up by his shirt collar and punch him repeatedly in the face. One for every person who died. Yukino and Lucy had been watching all this happen.

I could hardly see straight from all the tears streaming down my face. I kept beating Gray. He just hangs his head. I get even angrier because he isn't doing anything, until I feel a pierce of sharp pain on my shoulder. Gajeel's exceed, Lily, had transformed into his battle form and struck me across the right shoulder. I fall on my side.

"What is wrong with you?!" He yells. "We are all sad about our friends who have passed but we don't go around hurting the ones who haven't! They're all dead! Wendy is dead! Carla is dead! Gajeel is dead! Happy is dead! They're all dead! Just grow up and face the facts Natsu!"

Hearing those words said so angrily and forcefully made me lose it. At that moment, I felt like a little kid again. I curled up on the floor and began sobbing. Lily, realizing what he did, transforms back to his smaller self and walks up to me.

"I apologize. I should not have been so rash." He says. I ignore him, not like I could hear him very well. Yukino is too shocked to move.

Time itself seems to stop. The room is so still. Not a move made. I felt like I had died, and I just couldn't hear any of it, until I hear footsteps. I ignore it and cry even harder. I feel a hand on my shoulder.

"Hey, it's okay. It's okay to cry." the person says. I first I think it is Wendy, until I remember the horrible truth and sob louder. A strand of her hair falls into my view. It's, white. Mirajane.

"I know how you must feel Natsu. I feel it too."

"Why should anyone feel bad for him?" another voice says. A voice of someone I really didn't need right now. Laxus. "It's just a stupid cat. You lost your own sister Mira. That's different. It's also the sister you've already lost before." he continues. Mira's hand, who had been rubbing my shoulder, suddenly stops. She tightens her grip on me.

"Laxus. You don't know what he's sad about, how he feels," Mira stands up and faces Laxus. "You don't know how it feels Laxus! Don't assume things on a level you've never been to." she yells. Laxus is surprised at her attitude change. Laxus turns toward the bar.

"Fine fine, I was just speaking my mind." he says calmly. Mira sprints up to him. Silently, as to catch him off guard. She grabs the back of his head and slams it into the counter. Only then do I look up and notice how differently Mira dresses now. She dresses like she did before Lisanna 'died' the first time, decked out in skulls and black and purple. Laxus lifts his head and turns around, his nose bleeding.

"Don't blow it off that easily! Sometimes I wish you had died that day! Maybe then we wouldn't be having problems like this!" Mira yells in his face. Laxus is taken aback. He pretends to not care and walks away.

I stand up and begin walking out, rubbing my eyes as I go. Yukino begins to follow me. Lucy runs up to me and grabs my arm.

"Natsu! Please don't go!" she says. I slap her with the back of my hand.

"I will not be polluted by the touch of lowly fairies! I am a tiger now!"

 **Rogue: Hey, want a sandwich? Or a massage? A sandwich and a massage?**

 **Me: Sorry, I don't accept bribes**

 **Rogue: Please give me a part! I promise I'll be good!**

 **Me: I'll see what I can do…**

 **Rogue: Thank you!**

 **Me: Maybe**

 **Rogue: What?!**


	4. Chapter 4

Disclaimer: I do not own Fairy Tail (Wish I did!)

~~~Natsu P.O.V.~~~

As I am walking out of the Fairy Tail guild hall, I realize my new vest covers my new guild mark. Wiping the tears off my face, I let my vest drop to the floor. Turning my right shoulder to the rest of the guild, I begin to speak.

"I don't care! I'm a tiger now! I'm never coming back!" I swing my arm around Yukino's shoulders and leave my new vest, and the guild, behind me.

"I'm so sorry Natsu." Yukino says.

"Don't sweat it. I'm fine." I reply. Yukino frowns, clearly not convinced. We continue walking back to Sabertooth in silence.

I hear a loud yell behind me. Turning around, I get a glimpse of what it is right before it hits Yukino. She screams, falling to the ground, the ice spear sticking out of her stomach.

"Now are you sad?" Gray yells.

"What was that for?" I shout back, becoming furious.

"You weren't sad about the death of your Fairy Tail friends, so I thought I'd make you sad from the death of your Sabertooth friend." I begin walking toward him, fire in my eyes, when suddenly, I feel a sharp pain in my head and fall to the ground.

I wake up in a dark room. I try to walk, but my arms are preventing me from doing so. Hanging by my wrists, I look around as much as I can.

"I see you are awake." a voice says.

"Who's there?" I call back, sniffing the air. _It can't be…._ I think to myself. The lights come on quickly. My nose was right. It's always right. Sometimes I really wish it wasn't.

There was Erza. Serious as ever, looking at me. Her expression was so firm she might have well been staring into my soul.

"What's going on? Help me Erza!" I shout, struggling against the chains holding me.

"Why would I want to ruin my hard work?" She replies. I stare at her, dumbfounded at my realization. Erza had knocked me out and taken me here.

"Shall we start?" she asks.

"Start what?" I ask.

"Your punishment of course." I decide not to say anything to her remark. Erza draws a sword, and only then do I realize how serious she is. As she walks toward me, I squeeze my eyes shut. I feel her stab through my left thigh. I try not to yell, but I do anyway. Opening my eyes, I look at Erza. Her grin was sickening, I almost threw up.

"Don't look at me like that. You deserve this." Erza said. She draws her sword out of my leg. It immediately finds a new place next to my hip. I yell again.

"Please stop." I whimper. Erza's voice seems to change completely. There is almost a second voice mimicking her words exactly when she says it.

"You will be quiet and take the punishment you deserve. It seems that Gray's plan didn't work as well as he figured. But mine works just fine. Gray's thinking is still preserved. Just improved."

I hear tapping noises. Looking around, I see another figure coming out of the shadows.

Gray.

He walks over to where Erza is and slips his hands around her waist. After planting a kiss on her cheek, he looks up at me and chuckles.

"You're a liar Gray! You don't love Lucy! You're a liar!" those were the only words I could manage before I slip into unconsciousness again.

 **Me: Sorry this chapter took so long! My schedule has been really packed lately…**

 **Natsu: Yeah you left off making me look like a wimp! Not like this chapter gets much better for me…**

 **Me: Yeah… I know….. Sorry… Anyway, I will try to get chapters in more often!**


	5. Chapter 5

Disclaimer: I do not own Fairy Tail

 **Me: So much for chapters more often! I needed some time to do important things. Like fangirling over BTS… Anyway, this is the final chapter of the story! Hope you like it!**

 **Rogue: Will I finally get a part?**

 **Me: ….No….**

~~~Natsu P.O.V.~~~

I wake up in a sweat. Finding myself on a soft bed, I look around. This room looks familiar, but I can't place it. I see a woman next to me. Her eyes open.

"Natsu? Did you have a bad dream? It's okay now, just go to sleep." The blond mage, Lucy, buries her head in my chest and goes back to sleep. On her left ring finger, I see a diamond ring. Confused, I look at my own hand. No ring. I look at my guildmark.

It's a sabertooth mark.


	6. Chapter 6

Chapter 6

Disclaimer: I do not own Fairy Tail

I'm sorry if my final chapter was confusing…

I know it was but it seemed to make sense in my head…

I'm just going to add a little bit to that chapter and hope it helps…

~~~Natsu P.O.V.~~~

I look and see cuts and bruises up and down my arms. I find a large bandage on my stomach as well. Looking over to the nightstand beside the bed, I see a ring. I pick it up and try to fit it on my left ring finger, but it is a little too small. Studying the ring, I find small engraved icicles. _Not him. Anyone but him. This is a dream. Just a dream. None of this happened. I'm still a Fairy Tail wizard. I still love Lucy. Yukino isn't dead. The guild isn't dead. They aren't,_ I think to myself. After pinching myself, and realizing that this is in fact real life, I lean back and cry.


End file.
